Points of Order  Mr. Speaker, a modicum of decorum must be maintained in the House. The member for Pontiac made a false claim about the Conservative members from Quebec. A few moments ago, the Prime Minister made one of his own when my Bloc Québécois colleague asked him a question. This situation is unacceptable.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the skyrocketing cost of oil is hitting families' pocketbooks very hard. In response, the government is doing absolutely nothing. It actually seems to like this situation, since more money is flowing into government coffers. This allows the Liberals to do what they do best, which is spend, spend, spend.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the provinces demonstrated leadership in managing the situation. That is what the Liberals lack. The Prime Minister has invoked the Emergencies Act to offload his responsibility for a crisis that he himself fuelled by stigmatizing the protesters who are here in Ottawa.

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, for three weeks, the Prime Minister did nothing. He added fuel to the fire by provoking the protesters. He even hid in his cottage during this crisis. Now he is invoking the Emergencies Act to improve his image. Unlike the Liberals, the provinces have acted and are managing the situation in a responsible and peaceful manner.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, according to Statistics Canada data released just this morning, 200,000 jobs were lost in January and the unemployment rate is now 6.5%. Those are real numbers, not the numbers the minister has been playing on repeat all week. People are struggling. The cost of living is soaring.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the average family will spend almost $1,000 more on groceries in 2022. That is in addition to the rising cost of food, gas, unemployment and housing. That extra $1,000 for food alone is equal to a Canadian worker's average income. Quebeckers and Canadians have had enough.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the minister is talking and putting everyone to sleep, but that does not change the fact that Canadians' wallets are getting thinner every day as the Liberals spend taxpayers' money. I have a very simple question for the Minister of Finance. Can she tell me whether she agrees with her Prime Minister, who thinks that budgets balance themselves, or does she believe that the government needs to take concrete measures to manage the money that taxpayers have given them?

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the increase in the cost of living has hit a 30-year high with 4.8% inflation, a 27% increase in the cost of housing in a single year and a 33% increase in the price of gas. I am not even talking about the cost of groceries, which is skyrocketing. More than one in two families is afraid of not being able to feed their children, and food banks are overwhelmed by the demand.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, when I listen to the minister, I really feel like she is completely out of touch with the reality of Canadians. I invite her to visit my riding and come with me to see the families who are now knocking at the doors of food banks because they cannot make ends meet. The cost of living is skyrocketing in every area, including the basics of food, shelter and clothing.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, here are some figures for you and for the Prime Minister. The price of gas has increased 43% and Canadian families will spend $1,000 more on food next year. What is bizarre is that the Prime Minister seems to be fine with this, with the cost of living being higher for Canadians.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, inflation is only good for the Prime Minister. It is not good for Canadian families, the honest workers who are working hard to earn a living so they can feed their families, buy a home and fill up the tank. That is very clear. The more people spend, the more expensive it gets because they have to pay taxes to fill the government's coffers.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, yesterday's economic update was not short on spending, but it was missing one word: inflation. That does not seem to bother the Prime Minister, unlike 60% of Canadian families, who are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their children and families.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, as businesses struggle to get back on their feet, The Globe and Mail is reporting that employment insurance and Canada pension plan contributions for employers will jump 18% over two years. This increase is the result of Liberal policy decisions to spend and make Canadian families and businesses pay for the government's deficits.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the Liberal method is simple: tax more to spend more or spend more and make Canadians pay for it. The president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has told us that there will be tax increases for as far as the eye can see. Our entrepreneurs need breathing room.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberal government created a $34‑billion deficit in the employment insurance fund because of its decisions. That is an extra $1,100 per employee that the government has been stealing from the pockets of employers since 2015. Will the Prime Minister announce measures that will help businesses and self-employed workers or will he continue to spend, increase the deficit and make honest workers pay more taxes?